Rabat – Morocco is set to see heavy rainfall and thunderstorms over the weekend in a number of provinces, according to a note from the country’s Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM).
Provinces likely to see a heavy downpour and thunderstorm include Aousserd, Oued Eddahab, and Boujdour starting Saturday from 4 p.m to 11 p.m, the DGM said in its orange-level alert.
The note further points out that rainfall is expected to average 20 to 30 millimeters in these provinces.
On Sunday, a number of other provinces are expected to see a downpour averaging 20 to 40 millimeters. This includes Agadir Ida-Outanane, Inzegane Ait Melloul, Chtouka Ait Baha, Taroudant, Al Haouz, Chichaoua, and Ouarzazate.
News of rainfall comes as a welcome change this year, after last year’s historic drought and consecutive heatwaves.
In the course of this year’s summer, the dramatic rise in temperatures coupled with drought caused human casualties and considerable property damage as wildfires raged across Morocco’s northern provinces.
This year, the country is relying on robust rainfall to offset risks associated with water scarcity and low agricultural yield.
Last year’s drought had a significant toll on the country’s agriculture, as the production of cereal — a staple in the Moroccan national diet — decreased by 70%, according to data from the US State Department.
In addition to putting in peril Morocco’s food sovereignty at a time of skyrocketing food prices, last year’s drought brought down water reserves substantially as national dams reached their lowest filling rates in recent years.
